Rescheduling your wedding due to unforeseen circumstances is one thing, but having to reschedule four times because of COVID19 brings a whole new set of challenges and frustration. Thankfully, Hali and Erik handled the entire situation with such grace and were still able to have their destination wedding at Secrets the Vine Cancun, even if it was just a little later than they originally anticipated.
It’s also worth mentioning that the couple pulled their wedding off with no travel agent or destination wedding planner. Assuming this would have caused more added stress or anxiety, it was to my surprise that the overall process was still relatively seamless and stress free.
Let’s take a further look into how they handled the constant changes and challenges of not only planning a destination wedding on their own, but doing it during a pandemic as well.
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The Resort – Secrets The Vine Cancun
Secrets is part of the AMR Collection, which also includes Dreams, Breathless, Zoetry, Alua, and Sunscape resorts as well. All of the Secrets resorts are adult-only. Other added amenities include 24 hour room service, a mini bar refreshed daily, and a partial or full ocean view in every room.
Secrets The Vine Cancun is nestled on the Yucatan Peninsula giving it more of a city vibe, but still including luxuries of a high quality beach, relaxing atmosphere, and all-inclusive resort.
How did Hali and Erik end up choosing this resort? She said it started with a simple Google search. There were a few resorts they were looking at, and Secrets The Vine was ultimately decided based on having the best amenities, reviews, and wedding packages compared to the other resorts they were considering.
Because Secrets The Vine is within 10 miles of Cancun, there are lots of activities and restaurants within a short taxi ride from the resort as well. It’s always nice to give the opportunity to your guests to venture outside of the resort and take in the culture on their own time.
Hali’s rating of the resort’s amenities:
Service: 10/10
Pool: 10/10
Beach: 10/10
Food: 8/10
Spa: 10/10
The Wedding Planning
Hali and Erik first got engaged in 2017. They always envisioned getting married on a beach, and since they lived in Arizona she knew that their wedding would then have to take place further away from home.
As previously mentioned, Hali didn’t end up hiring a travel agent or wedding planner, so all of the wedding planning, questions from guests, and rescheduling of wedding dates landed on her and Erik. You’d imagine that this stress would come through while talking with Hali, but she was extremely easy going about the process.
She mentioned that her wedding group was originally around 40 guests, but with having to reschedule multiple times due to COVID19 it ended up being around 20 guests in total making the trip. Being that it ended up being a smaller wedding, along with choosing an adult-only resort, that left less chance for guests to bombard the couple with questions or concerns like you may hear with other destination weddings.
Hali did also emphasize that the on-site wedding coordinator and the entire Secrets The Vine staff did exceptionally well throughout the entire planning process. They were constantly in communication with her and she never once felt like she was behind in her wedding planning or not sure if they were staying on top of things regarding their wedding.
Bridal Q&A
Q: If the resort had wedding packages, which one did you pick?
A: The Ultimate Wedding Package
Q: Where did you have your ceremony and reception? (i.e. pergola, beach, etc.)
A: The ceremony was on the beach and the reception was by the pool.
Q: Did you pay for any add on’s that were not included in your wedding package? If so, what were they?
A: Yes. Speakers, more flowers, light up balls for the pool and chandeliers.
Q: What was your biggest challenge in planning a destination wedding?
A: Working with our guests. It was also really challenging with COVID restrictions. We had to reschedule our wedding 4 times!
Q: If you could change anything about your experience, what would it be and why?
A: I would try to be more present throughout the whole experience and not stress the small stuff!
Q: Anything else regarding your wedding planning and services that you would like brides to know?
A: Hire a photographer that you absolutely love and are comfortable with!
In the end, Hali & Erik were able to pull off the wedding they had always imagined they would have. Hali highly recommended just trusting your gut throughout the entire process, trying to slow down and truly enjoy your time, and remember what’s important when it comes to you and your fiance.
Make sure to give my interview with Hali a listen by hitting play on the RedCircle audio above, or searching “Breezy Brides” wherever you listen to podcasts.
Vendors
Resort: Secrets The Vine Cancun
Photographer: Steph Wahlig Photography
Wedding Dress: Anne Barge
Veil: Toni Federici
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Kleinfeld Bridal
There’s more reviews where this came from! Head to our Destination Wedding Reviews page to check out which other resorts and venues couples have shared.